The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-05-11

controlling the traffic in intoxicating bever-
ages? The NoRrHERsER believes that local
option by counties is the most practical and
available means at command for such pur-
pose, and is therefore emphatically in favor
of that plan.
But local option implies a choice between
two systems. 1t must be choice between
local prohibition and regulation, or between
local prohibition and free whiskey. There
is class of people who oppose high taxation,
because they say it is recognizing and COM
promising that which is wrong, and whose
argument, if followed to its legitimate con-
clusion, would remove all restraint from the
traffic. They acknowledge that full and
complete prohibition is entirely out of their
reach, but because they cannot obtain that
they will have nothing 1t is as though a
hungry man wanted fish for dinner but,
being unable to get fish, will starve rather
than eat any other kind of food. With this
class of people, the NoRTHERNER has no sym
pathy whatever. They are simply obstruc-
tionists and, instead of aiding in the temper
ance work, are an actual hindrance to all true
reform
Placing burdensome tax upon any trade,
occupation or business is not recognizing it
and licensing it, but is placing il under the
ban of the law, under restriction and control;
and the kind of local option the NoRrHERNEB
would like to see is not choice between
prohibition on the one side and free whiskey
on the other, but choice between absolute
prohibition in an entire county and traffic
weighted down with burdens and hampered
with as many legal restrictions and prohibit
i've features as it is possible to have thrown
around it.
1t is for this reason that, while advocating
the enactment of a local option law, the
NoRTHERNEE favors the BATES bill now pend
ing before the legislature, which bill raises
the tax on all saloons to the sum of five
hundred dollars, increases the amount of
bonds required, compels the business to be
carried on in front room exposed to the
gaze of the world, unprotected by curtain or
screen, places the saloon under the supervis-
ion of the supervisor OF the township, who
must make a monthly report to the county
treasurer, compels, under n severe penalty,
the county treasurer, sheriff and prosecuting
attorney to take official notice of all violations
of the law by saloon-keepers, forbids one
col p,ot he Of
allows no billiard tables or other gaming APP
psratus to be kept in saloon or bar-room,
retains all the prohibitive features of the
present law and adds others of like character.
The NoRrHERNER believes that a choice |
between local prohibition and such measure
as the one proposed, is far preferable to a
local option between prohibition and an
unrestricted traffic, and therefore hopes and |
expects the BATES bill will become the law of |
the state. 1t would be pleased if it could |
say that it expected the passage of that bill |
would be followed by the prompt enactment |
of local option law, but it fears such is not |
to be the case; and yet, if the Legislature
shall fail to give the people of such localities |
as have by their votes shown their desire for
a prohibition of the iniquitous traffic, an op-
portunity to suppress it, it will have failed
to do what it should do and will be derelict .
in its duty to its constituents.
Realizing that, should local option law
be adopted, there is large number of coun-
ties in the state that will not avail themselves
OF its provisions, the NoETHERNER believes
that the traffic should be restricted, burdened
and hedged about with difficulties, obstacles
and hindrances, 50 that in such counties its
power for evil may be curtailed as much as
Is practicable. While waiting patiently for
the time when full and complete constitu-
tional prohibition may be obtained the
NoErHERNER plants itself on the platform of
prohibition for those who will accept it and
regulation for those who refuse it.